Ranges from:

• They didn't exist at all.
• All were the work of God
• Are only 6,000 years old.

No, really, I think there was a sort of stigma too it. I mean, there probably were but they just didn't admit it.

I don't know about atheists but a lot of the US' early presidents were not exactly supportive of religion.

George Washington stopped going to church and was a huge supporter of freedom of religion.

John Adams: "God is an essence we know nothing of. Until this awful blasphemy's got rid of there will never be any liberal science in the world."

Thomas Jefferson: "The Clergy believe that any power confided in me will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly."

James Buchanan: "I have seldom met an intelligent person whose views were not narrowed and distorted by religion."

Abraham Lincoln: "My earlier views at the unsoundness of the Christian scheme of salvation and the human origin of the scriptures, have become clearer and stronger with advancing years"


Would any of these people be able to become even presidential candidates now?

Half of Americans doesn't even know who John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, or James Buchannan is

Don't forget this one: God put dinosaur bones in place to test our faith!

That's a really interesting point, and says a lot about modern America.

a) Yes. Clinton did very well I you can't really say he was much more of a Christian than any of the founding fathers you mentioned.

b) They'd have still called themselves deists. It wasn't much more than a PC term for atheist, I'll grant you, though, so I guess you could say it could run either way.

... Bill is a hardcore Christian. Just because he got his nob off doesn't make him a non-Christian.

So basically, what you're saying is that you don't think there were Atheists back then who admitted they were atheists? That happens a lot now, as well. I know lots of people who just say "I'm not very religious."